The core function of an Account Lead/Digital Specialist is to manage client’s campaigns and book & negotiate media, ensuring that Dentsu Zambia delivers on the objectives and financial targets set for its clients, maximizing income through accurate billing between Dentsu Zambia and all relevant parties while ensuring or other goals set by the client are met. The Account Lead/Digital Specialist is responsible for leading the client account. Develop the media strategy, gathering information, profiles of readership, listenership, and viewership of publications, radio, digital, and TV stations. Make the Plan Happen, take the above strategy and bring it to life to meet all objectives set. Be the custodian for all media schedules and plans. The Account Lead is the person who guides the campaign-building process. From client communications and workflow to budgets and billing. The Account Lead is accountable for all aspects of the delivery of work to the client. Client services managers are problem solvers and quick on their feet to solve problems for both the client and the creative team and agency staff.

 

Job Description:

Role and Purpose

• Manage client digital campaigns end-to-end: booking, negotiating media, and ensuring objectives and financial targets are met
• Maximize agency income via accurate billing and oversight of media schedules and plans
• Assist Media Strategist/Media Director in developing digital media strategies (audience profiling across digital, TV, radio, print)
• “Make the Plan Happen”: bring strategy to life, guide campaign build, client communications, workflow, budgets, and billing
• Act as a problem‑solver for clients, creative teams, and agency staff

 

How to succeed in this role

• Fully aware of social media mechanics on various platforms
• Has a keen understanding of the global & local digital landscape
• Shows demonstrable capability in digital media buying and campaign management
• Understanding how to implement and plan a digital schedule
• Highly developed ability in negotiation
• Shows confidence and assertiveness in applying the Company’s processes and systems whilst meeting client demands
• Strong administrative skills
• Systematic, process-oriented, and accurate
• Effective verbal and written communication ability (multilingualism is an added benefit)
• Relationship-building
• Excellent numeracy skills
• Can manage change in a fast-paced industry
• Drive high performance culture through efficiency

 

To exemplify our values and behaviors dealing with colleagues and clients alike:

• Agile – We need to be nimble, quick, and flexible, thinking and acting differently
• Pioneering – Being constantly curious, taking risks to succeed, and being Passionate about thought leadership
• Ambitious – Going the extra mile, Eyes on the prize, Rapid and ruthless focus
• Responsible – Taking ownership, promoting good citizenship, being transparent
• Collaborative – Working together globally to deliver consistent brand experience; partnering together locally to provide the best client solution

 

Key platforms and systems to familiarize yourself with:

• • Facebook (Facebook Blueprint)
  • Twitter (Twitter Flight School)
  • Instagram (Facebook Blueprint)
  • Google (360 and Marketing Platform Certification)

 

Business Systems 30%

 

Adhere to all business processes that ensure that media is booked correctly to avoid errors and loss of revenue.

Have a clear understanding of the business targets and Revenue Plan Understand forecasting and how this role adds value to the business, achieving financial targets. This means checking in regularly with leaders to understand how buying impacts on finance targets, to take remedial actions to ensure better alignment with set targets  Partner with leaders and understand our client base and approach to acquiring new business Ensuring accuracy and a clear understanding of client and Dentsu processes, and applying them effectively to ensure deadlines are met, to cultivate a proactive approach to sustaining high performance and acceptable service delivery Ensuring that all media is booked according to the established process with no deviations

 

 

Digital 50%

Align efforts in full support of growing Digital to at least 15% of Media Spend in line with the Digital Department’s growth ambition Fully understand the plan for achieving 15% of Media spend in Digital and contribute to gaining a leadership position on Digital Carry out all tasks according to KPIs and the Job Description set out within the Digital Department

 

Talent, Tools, Capability, and Skills Development 10%

 

Media Buyers probably experience the highest fluctuation in terms of workflow – a thorough understanding of tools is a requirement to ensure operational excellence and an acceptable standard of service delivery.

Drive ownership and accountability for Digital with everyone in the team and develop capability (own and team) in digital & buying Leverage off tools and capabilities available within the Global platform to aid operational efficiency in Zambia Drive and align with the Dentsu culture and values within the local business Review current standard of skills and capability in the Digital arena, and upskill to the required standard (Seek out and complete training and personal development programs to upskill as appropriate and agreed with your line manager) Support team development on: Competitive analysis, Negotiation, Understanding Revenue (Fees vs. Time) and Profitability

 

Trading 10%

 

Understand how Digital delivers ROI and, with this understanding, contribute to demonstrating ROI from a Media Buyer/Planner viewpoint

Responsible for understanding the Trading Agenda and how it impacts Media buying Ensure we are using preferred suppliers and delivering to Client targets Be able to effectively use and apply the trading systems and processes to support the role and provide insight day-to-day Understand why we do Trading deals and apply these principles in the role Know who our preferred suppliers are and their rates Understand the full process in Trading and what this means for processes in Dentsu Zambia, and the impact on client needs

 

Your Responsibilities

 

• Contribute to driving digital communication strategies for clients
• Manage client social media pages and ensure timely content is provided (including content upload, community management, copywriting, monitoring/ reporting, etc.)
• Runs the day-to-day planning of tasks for key accounts
• Create digital schedules and process buying on approved campaigns
• Effective negotiation to improve campaign deliverables and added value
• Liaising with digital media suppliers to get contracts and ensure that CEs are sent to the relevant client
• Liaising with strategists, clients, and planners, providing relevant documentation for reporting purposes
• Provide accurate and clear instructions to the planning team on any changes to the campaign
• Develop innovative media strategies to ensure clients receive a healthy ROI
• Provide recommendations and adjustments based on analytics, data, market trends, and insights
• Seeking new information regarding digital media
• Accurate checking of contracts vs. the digital schedule
• Accurate uploading of approved campaigns onto the financial system
• Generating material chase lists and liaising with the creative agency
• Chasing of material (if necessary) / flight codes / key numbers from the creative agency/client
• Managing flight codes / key numbers and clearly instructing the media suppliers accordingly
• Handling of financial/media and material queries
• Ensure that the client is billed correctly
• Accurate filing and record keeping of campaign information (including digital schedules, CEs, POs, Mos, contracts [where relevant], receipts, invoices, etc.)
• Any other duties as required and appropriate

 

Content Generation

• Develop sharp, actionable content; maintain monthly content calendars
• Collaborate with creative teams for engaging multimedia posts
• Optimize and schedule content across platforms; monitor engagement
• Report on M&E metrics; deliver timely, insightful reports

 

People Management

• Collaborating with Creative Teams (including Videographers and Multimedia Designers) to ensure that posts are engaging

 

Content Management

• Optimizing content for publication across various social media sites
• Scheduling copy for release at optimal times

 

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Monitoring users’ engagement with and feedback on every post.
• Analyzing and reporting on the effects of publications.

 

Platform Security

• Maintaining a secure database of all login credentials
• Measurement: Is the database up to date and secure? No breaches to date?

Industry Relevance

• Exploring the potential value of social media sites that are not yet in our repertoire

 

Vendor Management

• Ensuring that all vendors/ platforms used to deliver campaign value are performing according to agreements (contract/ SLA) e.g. Eskimi, Facebook, Google and other Digital suppliers such as influencers.

 

Location:

Lusaka

 

Brand:

Dentsu

 

Time Type:

Full time

 

Contract Type:

Fixed Term Contract (Fixed Term)